Appliance safety and PAT testing for landlords

Why it matters

If an appliance you supplied causes a fire or an injury, the question will be what evidence you have that it was safe. A dated test record answers that in one line.

Legal requirements

• Appliances supplied for tenant use must be safe under electrical equipment safety rules.
• HMO licence conditions commonly require appliance testing at defined intervals.
• Records of testing should be kept and provided on request.
• Recalled appliances must be dealt with promptly once the landlord is aware.

Common mistakes

• Leaving an old appliance in place at a change of tenancy without any check.
• Assuming the tenant's own appliances are your responsibility, or that yours are not.
• Ignoring manufacturer recall notices on tumble dryers and similar items.
• No inventory record of which appliances were supplied and when.

Practical guidance

• List supplied appliances in the inventory with make, model and approximate age.
• Do a visual check of leads, plugs and casings at every inspection.
• Test at change of tenancy for HMOs and older appliances.
• Register appliances with manufacturers so recall notices reach you.

Visual checks that matter

Most faults are visible. Look for damaged or taped leads, cracked plugs, scorch marks around pins, loose cable grips, overloaded extension leads and appliances used in unsuitable places such as a heater in a bathroom. Note what you checked and when. A short inspection note with photographs is often more useful than an annual test certificate on its own, because faults appear between tests.

Tenant owned appliances

You are not responsible for testing items the tenant brings, but you are responsible for the installation they plug into. If an inspection shows dangerous tenant equipment or serious overloading, raise it in writing and record the response. In HMOs this matters more, because one occupier's unsafe heater endangers everyone in the building, and the fire risk assessment should say how you manage it.